Embarrassing question reguarding CNA classes...

[janelane]

I've been interested the past few weeks about taking some CNA training classes to help find a new job, but I've watched some videos and read about it and noticed that when you learn to brush the patient's teeth, that class members seem to partner up or something and you eventually have to get your teeth brushed by one of the students. It sounds weird but I am very self conscious about my teeth. I've been paying for everything on my own since I've been about 13 or 14 (I'm 23 now), so I've always had a lot of things to pay for myself and bills and never had any money to see a dentist, and currently I'm looking for a new job/have no money/have no insurance, and really really don't want to have anyone brushing my teeth/looking at them anymore than they have to. I mean, my teeth aren't HORRENDOUS...when looking at them they just look a little bit crooked, but if someone were to have to get up close and brush them, they'll see that they're a bit worse. I'm immensely humiliated by my teeth and hate them. Sadly this is deterring me from wanting to go to these classes... Do you think my teacher would be okay if I asked not to have to be the "volunteer" for this?

[matchsticktgt, LPN]

YOUR teeth, not you....sorry!

[Music in My Heart]

In my CNA class we did not have to practice any ADL care on each other. The only thing we did was practice transfers. Other than that, all the "hands-on" was on residents during the clinical portion.

[sophie<3]

Don't let this stop you from taking the class!

There is a chance you won't have to perform this skill on a partner..and if you do have to, why not just volunteer to brush theirs? Or like others have said, it may be a positive thing ( I know it doesn't seem like it) to experience a situation like this..in nursing you have to face some things that may embarrass a patient and make them feel uncomfortable..being in a former situation it may prepare you with how to deal with something like this.

[Isitpossible, LPN, LVN]

i understand how u feel...many people are very self conscious about their teeth! if you dont have the pearly perfect whites that we see on tv constantly it will make us self conscious...absolutely does not mean that you cant provide good care or be a damn good CNA...quite the contrary, you will probably be more sensitive to others needs based on your own feelings!....tell your teacher privately your concerns...and good luck!

[VM85]

I feel for you. I am also super embarrassed about my teeth. I dont think it has anything to do with whether or not you truly want to take this course and succeed. I agree some others who say you are having dental work and have temp fillinfs or whatnot in your mouthif this issue should arise. Yes I understand they want you tobe in your patients shoes,some who may have dental issues. But you seem well aware of knowing how things may affect your confidence and comfort and I dont think it should be necessary for your peers to see that side of you if you choose not to show it. Just like a patient can refuse care, so hould the student if he/she choosesto do so.

But dont let this stop you. Just speak with someone before hand, or ask when you enroll if this is common practice. I dont think it is a small issue and I knwo how much it can affect your confidence and control your choices in life. Try to not let this control your choice of bettering yourself and possibly being able to get a position in which dental may be included. Theres always "sick days" if it comes down to it! Good luck, and keep smiling- your not the only one with this hang up! Oh and congrats for being so honest!

[meggi2010]

Hi there! You just pretend to brush each other's teeth when you are practicing in class. You don't even have to open your mouth if you don't want to! Everything is pretend, like charades. And the students will most likely be very nice and supportive to you. No one will make you feel uncomfortable. I hate my feet, and when we had to practice foot care, I was scared that we would have to take our shoes off, but we never had to and I worried for nothing. Take the class and don't worry, you will enjoy it!

[tacobellsauce]

Im not worried about the shape my teeth are in but for there safety, if someone damages my teeth i wont be happy, i dont understand why we dont use fake teeth? or dentures or something, its just ridiculous, and my teacher reads just out of the book it was a waste of money for me, and only teaches us word for word, she gets upset with me when i ask questions, and she expects us toi hear what to do and then do it i was worried a bit that my back would be hurt, she had us try lifts and placements and using the machines on eachother yesterday, and our books are about 20 years old the knowledge isnt current, she isnt teaching us everyrthing that will bve on our state board test, just the stuff so the facility its at can use us... ITS BS

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

This isn't something we did in my CNA class--perhaps the lesson plans differ across the nation...

[RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN]

Hi there! You just pretend to brush each other's teeth when you are practicing in class. You don't even have to open your mouth if you don't want to! Everything is pretend, like charades. And the students will most likely be very nice and supportive to you. No one will make you feel uncomfortable. I hate my feet, and when we had to practice foot care, I was scared that we would have to take our shoes off, but we never had to and I worried for nothing. Take the class and don't worry, you will enjoy it!

There was NO pretending in my CNA class! We did everything to each other except peri-care; we used the mannekins in lab for that. Otherwise, we bathed, fed, brushed teeth, did foot care, shaved, and did everything else on each other. There were some people who were more willing than others to be "patients" so not everybody had to be the patient for every skill.

[SlaveHeart]

My teeth are so bad I actually had to get a tooth pulled at a sliding scale emergency clinic towards the end of my CNA class! We were being quized on random skills the next day and my partner kept pulling oral care out of the bedpan! Luckily the gaping hole in my jaw was enough of an excuse for the instructor to let me skip it for that week. But up until that point I never brought it up and no one seemed to mind brushing my teeth, the only odd comment I got from anyone was from the name of my tooth paste.

[NightNerd, MSN, RN]

1) In my CNA class, not everyone brushed teeth/had their teeth brushed. We each took turns picking skills and demonstrating them to each other. I did brush the teeth of a classmate, but I gotta say, I barely looked at her mouth; I was more paying attention to how I was moving the brush and whether she was comfortable or not. So I think everyone in your class will have the same experience of being too self-conscious about whether they're doing it right to even think about your teeth.

2) Everyone gets crazy self-conscious about their bodies. During our skills test, someone was assigned to do footcare on me. I was like, "...Gosh, I hope my feet don't stink, but they've been wrapped up in my sneakers all day, sooooo..." I just figured that my classmates would end up seeing/smelling a lot worse at their new jobs, and they would have to deal with it professionally. If anyone was ever visibly put off by my feet or your teeth, I'd say they're probably not cut out for the job to begin with. So just keep that in mind.

3) Probably there is a way for you to get reduced-cost or free dental care. Hygiene students need someone to practice on, right??? In all seriousness, one of my best friends did this until he was able to get his own health insurance, and it was a godsend for him, so check into it.

[jval]

California here. We rarely ever practiced on eachother. We practiced on dummies and residents. As far as oral care goes, I only did dentures and mouth swabs on a resident to get checked off for the skill. The only thing we did on eachother was practice transfers with mechanical lifts and making an occupied bed. That's it. Some folks in my class had to do other stuff on students (like nail care) because they didn't manage to get it done during time at the clinical site.

Oh, and we practiced vitals on eachother a lot! :)

Don't sweat it! Your teacher probably won't have you do teeth brushing on a student!

Good luck!!!